


You're Cute When You're Sleeping

by Fangirling_FTW



Series: Destiel One-Shots [9]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Artist Dean, Castiel and Dean Winchester are Cute, Destiel - Freeform, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, SO MUCH FLUFF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 15:29:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10221407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirling_FTW/pseuds/Fangirling_FTW
Summary: Dean shows up late to class and is assigned a borderline narcoleptic lab partner.What he gets is so much more.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WingsandImpalas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WingsandImpalas/gifts).



> So this popped into my head because of wingsandimpalas and you might want to bring toothpaste, because it's teeth rottingly fluffy. <3
> 
> You guys know what to do with that comment box ;)

How did he end up here?

He was Dean  _ freaking _ Winchester, the art major who had every girl, and quite a few guys, quoting  _ Titanic  _ at him constantly (if he even hears the words ‘like your French girls’ again he’ll start swinging).  How had he wound up pacing in his own dorm room while panicking about asking someone on a date?  

 

If he went all the way back, the beginning of all this was probably the first day of chem lab, when Dean showed up fifteen minutes late and was assigned to Castiel Novak as his lab partner.  The quirky guy with the flyaway hair that always wore sweaters two or three sizes too big.  Still, he was ridiculously smart, and Dean figured if he had to take a random science class to fulfill his graduation requirements, at least this guy would help him pass.

Studying with him turned out to be more challenging than Dean expected.

The guy could sleep  _ anywhere.   _ Turns out the permanent bed head was not a lack of using a comb, but  _ actual _ bedhead, and the baggy sweaters seemed to double as portable blankets.  Dean had never seen anyone fall asleep so easily or so quickly.

Sitting in the library, they’d be going over their notes from class and Cas would settle too deep in his chair and doze off.  Hunched over the table in the cafeteria, Dean would be partway through a story or reading a paragraph and look up to find Cas’ head resting on his arm and sleeping soundly.  It didn’t matter how loud the area, how awkward the position, the time of day; Cas would nearly always doze off.  It kind of pissed him off, because how they hell were they supposed to get any studying done if Cas slept through all their sessions?  However, Dean’s first test came back with a B, so he figured something was working.

After a while, Dean got tired of sitting around public areas waiting for Cas to wake up, and that was totally the only reason he started to suggest they study in one of their dorm rooms.  That way, when Cas would inevitably fall asleep, at least all Dean had to do was lift a blanket over his shoulders.  Cas’ roommate had left at the beginning of the semester, and Dean had a single room, so Dean or Cas’ prolonged presence wouldn't bother anyone.  Also Cas seemed to stay awake a bit longer when they were in their rooms, and sometimes they would even make it through their notes to talk about things other than classes.

As midterms approached, Dean more often than not spent his afternoons and evenings with Cas, letting the more book smart history major help him study for his other classes as well.  Having Cas around as an audience seemed to help Dean’s creativity flow for his art assignments, though Dean never quite mixed his colors right to match Cas’ eyes.

Not that he spent all that much time looking at them, it's just that they were a really unique shade of blue.

Once midterms were finished, Dean still seemed to wind up with Cas every night, sitting up in Cas’ dorm room watching movies (Cas was sorely uneducated) or in Dean’s room, Cas’ deep voice discussing passages from his readings while Dean sketched or painted.  It would usually take a few days to get through a movie, Cas’ tendency to fall asleep usually meant they'd get about half an hour in before Cas was slumped against Dean’s shoulder, breathing deep and even.  Dean of course would sit there until the movie ended, not wanting to disturb Cas’ slumber.  It wasn’t because he thought Cas was adorable or anything, but he knew how hard it could be to go back to sleep when someone wakes you.

Sometimes Cas would be propped up on Dean’s pillows, a textbook laying open on his chest, head tilted to the side as he slept.  Dean would simply smile and tuck Cas in, sleeping on his futon until the next morning when Cas would leave, sleep rumpled but smiling.

Just before Dean left campus for Thanksgiving break, Benny cornered him in the parking lot and asked him an innuendo laden question about his ‘relationship’ with Cas.  He didn't believe Dean’s denial, citing the fact that they spent the night in each other’s rooms way too often to be platonic.  Dean had forgotten that Benny lived a few doors down from him, and had probably seen Cas leaving his room early in the morning.  Benny laughed at Dean’s discomfort, congratulating him on his relationship with a genuine smile before leaving Dean to stew in his confusion.

He didn't  _ like  _ Cas that way.  Sure, the guy was smart, funny in a dry sort of way, and was kind of cute the way he could curl up like a cat and sleep.  Not to mention his beautiful blue eyes and the grace with which he moved, and Dean knew he jogged almost every day before class, so his body was probably lean and toned under those baggy sweaters.

Okay, maybe Dean Winchester  _ did _ have it bad for Castiel Novak.

Dean stewed in these thoughts the entire long weekend, so much so his brother Sam was constantly teasing him for it.

Upon Dean’s return to campus, after five days of constant overthinking panic, it was like he was seeing Cas for the first time.  The way he never smiled for anyone else, yet still managed half a smile when he sees Dean.  How close he is to Dean’s side as they walk to class.  The way he scoots up next to Dean when they watch movies, and sighs in contentment when Dean relaxes next to him.  The sheer number of blue painted pieces in his art assignments and his dorm room, some paintings subconscious, others abstract sketches of Cas’ room or Cas himself.

There's a moment one day when Cas looks up at him from where he sits on Dean’s bed, and it's the first time that Dean realizes just how  _ badly  _ he wants to kiss him.  He's finding his eyes drawn more and more to Cas’ lips, noticing their shape, their pale pink color, the way they always seem to need a layer of chapstick.  There was a moment when Cas was saying goodbye one morning and Dean stepped into his personal space a bit too far, Cas’ little gasp making Dean pull back nervously.

 

So here Dean is, pacing back and forth in his dorm room while Cas is curled up in his bed, eyes closed and face relaxed, hair curling over his forehead.  Dean’s pacing because he wants to ask Cas on a date, a real date, and he's so fucking nervous he can't stand it, because Cas deserves more from him than what Dean usually gives his relationships.  Cas deserves more than physical nights and walks of shame, he deserves something  _ real _ .  

Dean’s started muttering possibilities out loud to himself, and each one comes out sounding more awful than the last.

“Hey, Cas, I uh, - no, too chick flick… Want to go to dinner?- Dumbass, you've asked him that before, he won't know what you mean.  Uh… I think I- nope, awkward.  Come on, man up Winchester!... Your eyes are- nuh uh, creepy… Would it be too forward if I said I wanted to kiss you?”  

“Of course not,” Cas hummed from behind him.  Dean froze, a furious blush running up his cheeks as he slowly turns to look at Cas.  Cas who's bed head is particularly messy today, whose hugging Dean’s pillow, and grinning at him with the sassiest, shit eating grin Dean has ever seen.

“How long were you awake?” Dean mumbled.

“I wasn't ever asleep,” Cas shrugged, his eyes sparkling with affection.  

“You weren't- you heard the-” Dean stumbled over his words and Cas set his pillow down, holding out a hand towards Dean.

“I would love to go to dinner with you, Dean Winchester.  And if you would still like to kiss me, all I have to say about that is: it's about time.”  Dean laughs, walking over to the edge of his bed and taking Cas’ hand.

“Can’t rush perfection,” Dean tries to smirk through his embarrassment.  Cas rolls his eyes, standing and running his fingers over the back of Dean’s neck as he pulls him in close.

“No, I suppose not,” he breathes, finally closing the gap between them.

 

Dean’s finally found that shade of blue he's been chasing all semester, but he doesn't attempt to put it on paper or canvas.  He finds it in Cas’ eyes, after that first kiss, when he's looking up at Dean and smiling wide.  

 

He sees it again at the end of the following semester, when they've just finished ‘celebrating’ Dean’s graduation, and a naked Cas is looking up at him sated and content.

 

He sees it again when Cas graduates two years later, and he hands Cas a key to his apartment.

 

And he sees it again when Cas finishes his Master’s Degree and Dean drops to one knee with a ring in his hand.  

 

That beautiful color blue that usually comes with three beautiful words.

 

“I love you.”


End file.
